Area guide
Welcome to Cabopino & Artola in Marbella East. Quieter, more natural, and much less developed compared to closer to Marbella centre.
What this area is known for all over the coast is the beach and the natural dunes that surround it. It is not a tourist hotspot, but for locals in Marbella, this is a top beach weekend destination.
Here you have Playa de Cabopino — a calmer, golden sand beach, more natural and very well taken care of. It's a slower pace, with great chiringuitos, and the feel overall is just higher quality across everything.
Right behind the beach are the Dunas de Artola, a protected natural dune system, with beautiful sand dunes, pine forest, and wooden walkways. This place is just something special to enjoy in the early mornings or at sunsets.
Here you also have the old watchtower, Torre Ladrones.
So you go from beach, to dunes, to forest in one continuous natural zone — which is very unique here on the Costa del Sol.
Further down by the beach, you will reach Cabopino Marina — a smaller marina with local seafood restaurants, cafés, jet ski rentals, and a minimarket. It's not luxury-focused like Puerto Banús — it's a much slower pace with a local feel.
People come here for great food, drinks, or just walking around to enjoy the calm atmosphere. Parking around here is quite easy, with most of it right above the beach, or in the parking garage by the marina.
I want to point out that Cabopino & Artola are not full-service towns, so there are no commercial centres with everyday necessities such as supermarkets, banks, or pharmacies, and there are no local gyms in the area either.
So for nice restaurants and cafés, Cabopino Marina or the beach is where you'd go, with one exception that's a local favourite for many, Da Bruno Restaurant. Everything else can be found within a 5-minute drive, either towards Elviria in the west or Calahonda to the east.
Cabopino & Artola are mainly areas with apartments or townhouses, often inside gated communities with their own pools and gardens. Lower Artola right by the beach also has some houses in that traditional Andalusian style.
Overall, all of Cabopino & Artola is low-density built with a lot of open space, especially in the upper parts. This is more a relaxed lifestyle place to live, or a very popular destination to visit from the nearby larger and more densely built areas.
Right in the centre of Cabopino you find Cabopino Golf — an 18-hole course with incredible sea views and beautiful pine vegetation. It's a less challenging course, making it a great 18-hole course to get better at your game and enjoy something nice to eat or drink after.
If you're drawn to a slower pace, natural surroundings, beach access, and a calmer, low-density lifestyle just outside Marbella's busier core, Cabopino & Artola is worth a look. Get in touch — I represent buyers only, so my job is to work for you, not the seller.
Questions
No. There's no commercial centre with supermarkets, banks, pharmacies or gyms — those are found a 5-minute drive away in Elviria or Calahonda.
Mostly apartments and townhouses in gated communities with pools and gardens, plus some traditional Andalusian-style houses in lower Artola near the beach.
Yes. Cabopino Golf is an 18-hole course right in the centre of Cabopino, with sea views and pine vegetation, considered a good course for improving your game.
The combination of Playa de Cabopino, the protected Dunas de Artola dune system, and pine forest all sitting together in one continuous natural zone — unique for this stretch of coast.
Looking at more than one area? Compare them all in the Costa del Sol area guides, or see how buying works.